Puig, antics and all, is a 'beast'

The flamboyant Yasiel Puig, right, is greeted by Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Adrian Gonzalez (23) after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
The Associated Press

Ball four was way high. Yasiel Puig’s getting a lot of that these days.

Besides the fact that he’s developed a much more discerning eye at the plate this season, the young Los Angeles Dodgers sensation from Cuba already is getting The Treatment, the frequent walks that keep him from doing major damage with his bat. This time, though, Puig drew the bases on balls from Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Josh Collmenter -- and still found some danger in his bat.

Before heading to first base, Puig did one of his flamboyant bat flips, intending it to go back toward the home dugout at Dodger Stadium. Only the bat stuck in his left hand a little too long and twirled directly backward, actually hovering over catcher Miguel Montero and umpire Bill Welke, causing both of them to duck and prompting one legendary redhead to speak his much-respected mind.

“You know, it is one thing to be a bat-flipper,” Dodgers announcer Vin Scully said over the air. “OK, you hit a home run, flip the bat. But this is ridiculous.”

Ladies and gentleman, Yasiel Puig.

You don’t have to be an outsider to cringe at some of the things Puig, just 23 years old and so enormously talented, does between those moments when he’s absolutely enthralling everyone with an otherworldly display of natural talent. He seems yet to have learned the difference between showing off and showing up opponents.

Thing is, even some of the most no-nonsense, traditionalist of opponents don’t seem to mind as much as you'd think.

“He’s a freak,” said Padres third baseman Chase Headley. “I know he’s taking criticism, like he’s just going through the motions, but that’s just him. He’s really loose, relaxed, and that’s what makes him so good.

“Yeah, he makes mistakes, and sometimes it looks awful. It’s the same with some of the antics, like showing up pitchers. But I think that for the most part, it’s accepted of Puig. Speaking for myself, I ask, what’s he doing that’s so wrong?”

The Padres, who host the Dodgers this weekend at Petco Park, were there when Puig made one of the stronger first impressions of any player making his major league debut. That was June 3 of last year.

After batting leadoff and rapping out two singles in his first three at bats, Puig brought a stunning end to L.A.’s 2-1 victory, throwing out Chris Denorfia with a 260-foot missile of a throw to first base.

Desperate to tie the game, Denorfia had been moving from first to second with one-out Kyle Blanks drive that Puig almost misplayed, correcting his line to the ball and catching it on the fly. Puig was still moving sideways when he planted for the throw that doubled up Denorfia. It was just a hint of what Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, the recipient of that toss, said would become the most underrated aspect of Puig’s mind-boggling game.

“His throwing accuracy,” said Gonzalez. “The only reason I bring it up is because it’s something unnoticed. People talk about the strength of his arm, him overthrowing the cut-off man or this or that, but his accuracy is unlike any I’ve seen.